African Story wins Dubai World Cup in track record time

African Story, ridden by Silvestre De Sousa, has won the $US10 million Dubai World Cup in track record time, boosting morale at the Godolphin stable hit by a doping scandal last year.

Mukhadram, ridden by Paul Hanagan, took second ahead of third-placed Mickael Barzalona on Godolphin's outsider Cat O'Mountain, completing a clean sweep for local horses.

The 4-1 favourite Ruler Of The World was a disappointing 13th, finishing more than 16 lengths behind the winner.

The full field of 16 runners competed in the 2,000-metre contest, the world's richest race, at the opulent Meydan racecourse in front of a crowd of about 60,000.

"It's an amazing feeling and he just proved he's the best," De Sousa said of the seven-year-old African Story, a 12-1 chance who was fifth in the race last year.

"He was very unlucky here last time when he banged his head in the stalls, but he has proved he's the boy."

Darley-bred African Story, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, held close behind leader Mukhadram, a 14-1 chance owned by the Dubai ruler's brother Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al-Maktoum, for most of the race, surging past with 200 metres to go.

He crossed the line in a track record time of 2:01:61 with De Sousa standing up in his irons, beating the record set in 2012 by Monterosso by more than a second.

"He jumped out of the gate so smart, I just had to squeeze him and ask him to be handy but he just responded to every question I asked him," De Sousa said.

"It was a perfect race for me. I was travelling at the second place just behind the leaders and he gave me the feeling he was happy to be there," he added.

Favourites fail to fire

The race compensated Godolphin for a lack of winners on the night's rich card.

Suroor said he felt pressure after his horses were beaten by foreign rivals, including from Hong Kong, Japan and Ireland, earlier on Saturday, but the trainer added that he had been confident African Story would make up for the drought.

"African story was flying really. It is a brilliant result," he said.

Godolphin's reputation suffered a blow last year when its former trainer Mahmood al-Zarooni was banned by the British Horseracing Authority after being found guilty of administering anabolic steroids at his stables in Newmarket.

Ruler Of The World, the Epsom Derby winner, failed to make any impact on the race while another top pick, Hong Kong Gold Cup winner Military Attack came home 10th.

Two-time Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux, who lost by two lengths to Animal Kingdom last year, crossed the line a close sixth.

The night's other major prizes went to Japan, with two-time Japan Cup winner Gentildonna claiming the Sheema Classic (2,400m) and Just A Way demolishing his rivals in the Dubai Duty Free (1,800m).

Australia's best hope for the night was Caulfield Guineas winner Long John, but he failed to figure in the placings in the UAE Derby.